1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a composition for surfacing outdoor playing areas and/or other utility areas and to a method of laying such.
2. Prior Art Relating to the Disclosure
Outdoor natural playing surfaces for children and for athletics pose maintenance problems associated with their use for correction of drainage and compaction problems. Natural playing surfaces tend to be dusty during dry weather and are not suitable for play during wet weather or when frost is coming out of the ground. An inexpensive, all-year, all-use playing surface is needed.
Numerous materials have been tried to develop a playing surface to solve this problem. Among the materials tried are rock asphalt, cutback tar, hot mix asphalt, asphaltic oil with sawdust, stone chips, spruce shavings, premixed asphalt laid cold, sawdust-soil mixtures, resilient asphaltrubber surfaces such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,863,431 and 2,871,774. All of these materials have certain advantages over a natural soil surface because they require low maintenance and can be generally used throughout the year, during good as well as inclement weather. The disadvantages of such surfaces, however, are in severe surface runoff problems, abrasive surfaces resulting in high accident frequency and retardation of motor ability development in young children by discouraging their running, jumping, falling, rolling and crawling without considerable discomfort, lack of resiliency, slippery, hot or solt in summer, and the tendency to soil and wear children's clothing.
The qualities desired in a play surface include resilience, good drainage, freedom from dust, durability, non-abrasiveness, cleanliness, firmness, smoothness, general utility, good appearance, reasonable initial and maintenance cost, and for athletic purposes, good traction. It has been difficult to find a composition which combines all of these qualities for varying climatic conditions.